Posted 14th October 2010 | 9 Comments

British Rail to be wound up as part of quango cull

The first ScotRail franchise began on 31 March 1997, but the brand had been used by BR since the early 1980s.

The first ScotRail franchise began on 31 March 1997, but the brand had been used by BR since the early 1980s.

THE government has announced that British Rail is to be finally wound up -- seventeen years after the first Act of Parliament was passed which launched railway privatisation.

BRB (Residuary) Ltd was created to take over the last few functions of the old British Railways Board after privatisation.

It is now to be axed as part of a wide-ranging cull of quangos – quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations – which are funded by taxpayers but are not government departments. Any remaining powers which are still needed will be transferred to the transport secretary, after some ‘asset disposals’.

BRB (Residuary) is currently still responsible for several thousand kilometres of disused railway lines, including bridges and the other structures on them.

Also being closed is the Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee, and a note says that ‘We are exploring options for continuing to gain the disability advice we need through a more flexible, accountable structure’.

The Commission for Integrated Transport disappears as well, and an alternative arrangement is being sought that ‘delivers external analysis and strategic advice on cross-modal transport policy and realising benefits, at lower cost’.

The Railway Heritage Committee, which ’designates’ records and artefacts still used by the operational railway for permanent preservation, is another victim. There is an official comment that ‘no equivalent protection applies to the heritage items of any other transport sector’.

There had been speculation that the watchdog Passenger Focus could also be axed, but instead its role is to be reviewed and ‘substantially reformed’, so that it focuses on its ’core role of protecting passengers, while reducing cost to taxpayers’. No other details are available yet.

Some of the changes may require legislation, because the Railway Heritage Committee was created by Act of Parliament, but powers to abolish BRB (Residuary) Ltd already exist, having been included in the Transport Act 2000.

The British Railways Board was created by the Transport Act 1962, to take over the railway functions of the British Transport Commission. Some of the businesses controlled by the Board, such as hotels and ships, were gradually sold off from the 1980s onwards, but major changes began in 1994, when Railtrack took over management of the railway infrastructure on 1 April.

The Board ceased to operate trains at the end of March 1997, when the ScotRail franchise began. ScotRail was said to have been the last to start because of the complexities of negotiating the changeover with the former Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive.

Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

  • Steve, eastbourne

    Goodbye to old riddance! BR was a disaster from start to finish the biggest problem was paying off the shareholders of the previous private companies and the 'new plan' in the 1950's which led to unproven stock built then scrapped later. If they want privatisation then go back to the big four or big five and have vertical integration no franchises or nonsense just real companies that run the trains. Or simply set up a trust independent of government owned by season ticket holders to run the railways! This won't happen thou too radical. More tinkering and rubbish! Won't work.

  • David, Reading

    Perhaps all the disused alignments could go to Sustrans but with a covenant that ALL disused railways they own can be restored as railways and Sustrans & other path / cycle route owners have no right to object.

  • Lorentz, London

    Long over due - this clutter has been hanging around too long, and this clean out helps to focus on the future.

  • James Barlow, Sheffield, United Kingdom

    come back labour all is forgiven....

    sure torries put in manifesto all old railway alignments would be saved from building work as we start to reopen lines

  • Watcherzero, Wigan

    Its councils that have the responsability of protecting former rail allignments they think may be reused in future not BRB. BRB has to consult them on disposals.

  • brian, Beeston (Notts), England

    My main concern is regarding the assets of BRB Ltd, incl disused lines etc. if these are sold off to the private sector then built upon, then that may hinder future re-opening of lines. Especially pertinent at the moment since various branch lines are beinr re-opened by local groups, and former main lines being used for new high speed alignments (great-central=>HS2)

    I sincerely hope these assets will be carefully reviewed for possible future re-opening before being sold-off.

  • Davie O'Donnell, Dunfermline

    Sad to see the old BR go

  • Rob, Leeds, UK

    These are truly retrograde steps. No other transport sector has such a history or made such an impact on todays world.

    A sad day indeed. I think we will see many babies being thrown out with the bathwater during the quango bonfire.

    I fear we will lose a lot of railway heritage and also, the potential for re-openings etc.

    Come back Lord Adonis - PLEASE!

  • andrew ganley, cheam, england

    Love the bit re: 'No equivalent protection applies to the heritage items of other
    transport sector'. That's because no other form of transport has such a rich
    history and heritage spanning the years. Still what do you expect from the party
    that began the rocky road down to the the privatised mess we have today?
    And you think Labour were bad!